Incumbents, challenger aim for three Whitehall council seats

Tuesday

Four at-large candidates for Whitehall City Council will vie for three seats Nov. 5 in the city's only contested race this fall.

The mayor, council president, city attorney, treasurer and Whitehall school board all are unopposed.

In the at-large council race, challenger Gerald Dixon looks to unseat one of the incumbents: Bob Bailey, Karen Conison or Wes Kantor.

Bailey did not respond to a questionnaire sent by ThisWeek Community News about his candidacy.

Conison, 57, is a human-resources manager at SourcePoint, a nonprofit agency in Delaware.

Conison has a bachelor's degree in public relations from Ohio State University.

She and her husband, Mark, reside in Whitehall and have a son and a daughter.

Conison is president of the Whitehall Community Celebration Association.

A graduate of Whitehall-Yearling High School and a lifelong resident, Conison said she wants to continue to "listen and voice the concerns of the citizens of Whitehall."

"I want to continue the progress and momentum that Whitehall has going," said Conison, adding her top priorities if reelected are inclusiveness, supplying affordable housing and caring for the city's senior population.

Dixon, 58, is a Whitehall-Yearling graduate who's employed in the restaurant industry.

He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio artists.

Dixon, in his third attempt at a council seat, said he "wants to serve people in my hometown with principled and selfless conscientiousness for a future that is respectfully balanced between the needs for economic growth in the city and the consideration for all its citizens owed them as their public servants."

Dixon campaigned for at-large seat in 2015 and a ward seat in 2017.

Kantor, 63, is a Whitehall-Yearling graduate and lifelong resident apart from his military service.

The father of six children, Kantor said he "wants to continue to help shape our city to be a better place for families.

"We are on the right path (but) still have some work to do, (and) I would love for the opportunity to do so."

NOTE: Look for candidate Q&As and additional election coverage in the coming weeks in ThisWeek Whitehall News and online at ThisWeekNEWS.com.